The Crucible Essay

The Crucible is more than a dramatic play; it has an underlying, yet obvious message. When The Crucible was written many people refused to think for themselves concerning the trials of prospected communist, and Arthur Miller was the first. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller, uses the Salem witch trials of 1692 to exhibit the dangerous McCarthyism, the bystander effect, and mass hysteria.

In the 1950 Senator Joseph McCarthy said "The State Department is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205…a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department.” (Griffith, Robert (1970). The Politics of Fear: Joseph R. McCarthy and the Senate. University of Massachusetts Press. pp. 49.) This speech caused a mass man hunt to unveil, prosecute and punish all people thought to be working for the Soviet Union. The trials were very one sided, as were the Salem witch trials. The people questioned were lead to a dead end. Confess and give name, a person is free, but if denied a charge or refused to answer the House committee on Un-American activities question the convicted would face jail time, or even death. These committees of the 1950’s are shockingly similar to the Salem witch trials nearly 250 years prior. The most famous people accused of espionage during this time period were the Hollywood Ten. This was a group of playwrights that were accused of espionage and later imprisoned for contempt because they kept silent during questioning. Arthur Miller was one of the Hollywood ten. He wrote The Crucible to warm people, using a historic event, of the current mentality of the American people.

One of the topics presented is the bystander effect. The bystander effect is when one sees immoral actions taking place, but fells mediocre and takes no action. The dark side of the bystander effect shows itself very strong in both The...

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In The Crucible, Parris, Abigail, and Thomas Putnam all show fear many times. Parris is driven by fear to have a good reputation and to be liked by the whole town. He is afraid of anything bad being said about him because it could ruin his power in the town of Salem. During Act One, Parris says to Abigail, "But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it." Parris also says many other things later in the story, all hinting to his fear about his reputation. Parris says these things so easily, proving that he is afraid of the thought of his reputation changing.
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American author Arthur Miller wrote a play in 1953 named the Crucible. The Crucible was portrayed as the Salem witch trials that took place in 1692 and 1693 in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The play was written as a milked version of McCarthyism. McCarthyism was when the Government put people who had been accused of being communist on the Blacklist. Miller was accused himself in 1956 as being a communist and refused to name names from who he had seen in the few meetings he attended.(THIS HAS ALL BEEN FACT). In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, Hysteria is used frequently and is to be the theme of the play that Miller is showing.(THESIS). In the village of Salem the first accusation that was made led to many others because of the result. Bridget Bishop was the first women accused of witchcraft and then later hung. Two girls did not think they were causing any harm when they decided to mess around with people’s minds and pretending to have strange fits. Many people could only think of one thing that was the cause, which was witchcraft. Later it was decided by a doctor that is was a source of witchcraft for he could not see anything wrong and assumed. As time
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...Ever since the beginning of humans, superstition had always been a part of our diverse cultures. There are gypsies and their tarot cards, Romans with their polytheism, and the Puritans and their Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials, was a year long witch hunt that occurred between 1692 and 1693. Many historians puzzled themselves over the entire debacle, and several debated that it were not Abigail who had the most blame, but instead Deputy Governor, Thomas Danforth. There was a good judge in him, but his inability to listen to what he did not want to hear impaired his ability to conduct a truly just trial. In Arthur Miller's depiction of the Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible, he labels Danforth as a stubborn old man that tried to prove the unprovable. He depicts the judge with the flaws that he believes everyone that defense the accused desire to overthrow the court, is so narrow indeed as the not allow any to question his decisions, believes the girls are incapable of deceit, and lastly, hangs the innocent to refrain from ruining his beloved reputation.
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In a time when God ruled the world, those who dissented faced a certain end. Some hold secrets that if discovered, will destroy the very center of all they hold dear. Dancing in the forest, girls who will not wake, secret relationships, and claims of witchcraft all lead to the destruction of a community. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, written during the McCarthy Era, this is exactly what happens. Reverend Parris catches a group of girls dancing in the forest, and the word spread like a cataclysmic conflagration. From then on, denizen of Salem accused each other of witchcraft, claiming that their neighbors are communing with the devil, killing babies, and other ludicrous and unbelievable crimes. As a hurricane gathers wind and celerity, so did the desire to accuse, condemn, and convict. The desire foments the most unbelievable accusations, becoming a mass hysteria. The reactions to the mass hysteria exacerbate the problem.
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THE CRUCIBLEESSAY
‘The Crucible’ written by Arthur Miller and my related material ‘Happy Feet’ by George Miller is true to this statement “Understanding nourishes belonging…a lack of understanding prevents it” that represents the interpretation of belonging. To define belong is to have the correct personal and social assets to be a member of a particular group or it could be to fit a particular environment.
By a sense of place, people you meet, and context and environment can affect belonging. The place that affects belonging in ‘The Crucible’ is set in Salem Massachusetts, USA, in 1692. What arises in this specific setting is only a theocracy based on a very literal Christianity. By changing the setting of ‘The Crucible’ it wouldn’t have the same meaning, for that reason the events that occurred in Salem in 1692.
The Crucible Characters John Proctor, Abigail Williams and Mary warren will provide support to my claims. Belonging can be influenced by the character’s own circumstances. For instance Abigail Williams is in a situation where she longed to belong to the adult world - especially in John Proctor’s arms once more. This is due to the fact that she is in the pre-teen stage and how throughout the play adults kept strengthen the border line between a child and adult. Furthermore realise how in the beginning Abigail is very...

...The CrucibleEssay
The Crucible was a very emotional book in terms of plot. The plot was about a girl named Abigail who accuses many people of witchcraft. She also accuses Elizabeth Proctor, wife of John Proctor. Abigail uses her power of the court to get to her obsession, John Proctor, by trying to eliminate Elizabeth. She is unsuccessful in getting this done and ends up executing over twelve people including John Proctor. It is great to see all the different kinds of characterization and themes. This story really gets you thinking about many things, such as, lying and telling the truth, or most importantly, standing up for your beliefs even if you have to die for them. It also shows how envy, greed, hate, and jealousy can impact so many lives.
A good theme in the crucible is the hunger for power because it shows you can get it in the town of Salem. All the power went to Abigail Williams. She then abused the power for the use of evil to get revenge on Elizabeth Proctor for having John. "Life, is God's most precious gift; no principle, however glorious may justify the taking of it"  Reverend Hale. This is one of the best quotes I have heard in a while. This quote mostly points to Danforth. It points to him because he was the one who sentenced John Proctor to hang, even though he knew he was innocent. He couldn't stop the sentencing because he thought it was too late to go back. "Now hear me, and...